Sanitary non-freezing watering-fountain.



L MKS. SANSTARY QONJREESNG WATERING FOUNTAIN.

AFPLZCATION HLE MAY 4, |91?.

1',58,6f.230a v Patented Mr. 5, 1918.

3 SHEETSDSHEETy l E. HICKS. f

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PP'LlCATQN FILE@ MA? 4. 191?, 1 ,258,6`5'5, Patented Mar.' 5, 1918.

3 .SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ELMEB HIIICKS, OF DES MOINES, IOWA..

SANITARY NoN-FREEZLNG WATERING-FOUNTAIN.

Application led May 4, 1917.

To all whom it may Concern.:

Be it known that I, ELMER HICKS, a citizen of t-lie United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sanitary Non-Freezing Watering-Fountains, of which the following is a specification.

`l` his invention relates to stock and poultry watering fountains and has as its primary lobject to provide a fountain of this class 4construct the fountain that t-he same will be entirely automatic in vits action and thatall water will be drained from the vvreservoir when the water has been consumed by the stock or when the reservoir is intentionally .drained so 'that if the use of the fountain is to be discontinued for any length of time it is-only necessary to drain the. water therefrom and set the fountain aside without fear of lrusting of the fountain due to 4,any water left remaining therein.

Another aim of the invention is'to provide .means for so supporting the trough of the fountain that thesaidtrough may be at any time conveniently 4removed from the fountain casing without likelihood of spilling `the water contained therein.

Another aim of the invention is to provide means for so supporting the reservoir l within the fountain casing as to expose. but a minimum area of the surface of thereservoir to the air and thus furtherinsure against freezing of the water therein.

The invention further aims .'to so construct ,the reservoir of the fountain that-the same will not be liable to buckle or become 'otherwise distorted due to the weight of the water and the4 suction force created by the flow of water from the said reservoir.

The invention has as a further object to so construct the fountain that the stock will eX- erience no discomfort in drinking thererom.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

Serial No. 166,441.

One form of the invention has as itsobject the automatic feeding of water from the reservoir.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective viewl of one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the trough removed from the fountain casing;

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectionalfview onthe line 7 7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of :i portion ofthe casing of the device.

The reservoir and trough 4of the fountain heretofore referred to are arranged within a sheet metal casing, which is indicated in general by the vnumeral l, and which is cylindrical inform, the casing having a bot-v tom 2 and being provided with a removable top or lid 3 having a handle 4.. Any suit able heatingdevice, such, iforexample, as a lamp 5, is disposed within the lower portion of the casing and rests upon ,the bottom 2 and access may be had to thef'heating device through an opening in one side of the wall of the casing, which opening .maybe-closed by a door 6 slidably fitting at its lateral edges in guides 7 at the opposite sides of the said opening.

In ord er that stock and poultr may reach the trough through the wall Ao vthe -casin 1, the said casing is formed in itssaid wa at diametrically opposite points with openings '8 and 9. If desired, however, the

opening 9 ma be alone provided for drink ing. Mounte in any suitable vIna-nner within the casing 1 are supporting members, indicated vin general by the numeral 10, these members extending in parallel relation between the openings 8 and 9 and each terminating at its end at corres onding sides of the said openings. 'Each o the said supporting members comprises a plate y11` having its upper edge flanged to providea supporting ledge 12 which ledges serve to support the reservoir in a manner which will be resently explained. The lower edge of ea plate 11 is provided with a Bange in' Vtioned ones of the said portions.

cluding a horizontally disposed portion which extends inwardly from the opening 8 slightly beyond the center of the casing, a portion lflf which is inclined upwardly toward the opening 9 from the inner end of the portion 15:3 of the said flange, and a=por tion 15 which extends from thc upper end of the portion 14 to the said opening 9, The portions 15 et the flanges constitute a support for that end of the trough next adjacent the opening 9, when the trough is in position within the casing l, and the portions 14 and 13 serve to support the said end of the trough as the trough is being withdrawn from the casing in a manner to be presently explained. It will beobserved that the ledges 12 extend from their respective plates toward the adjacent sides-of the wall of the casing, whereas the {langes-comprising the portions 13, 14 and 15 project toward each other, or, in other words, toward the center-of the said casing. By reference to the drawings it will be observed that the lower wall of the opening 9 is horizontally disposed and that the said opening is substantially semi-circular. However, while the upper portion of the opening 8 corresponds to the shape of the opening 9, the lower portion of the said opening 8 extends below the plane of the lower wall of the said opening 9, as indicated by the numeral 16, this extension being slightly narrower than the opening 8 itself butof a width to accommodate the trough which will presently be described. It will also be observed that the flange portions 15 of the 'supporting members 10 occupy the saine horizontal plane as the lower wall of the opening 9 and that, consequently, the flange portions 13 occupy a lower plane. The trough comprises a substantially semicylin drical body 17 having front and rear end walls, indicated respectively by the numerals 18 and 19, transversely curved to conform to the curvature of the wall of the casing 1, the trough being providedV with false end walls 20 which are inclined so as to avoid sharp corners within the trough, in which sediment or dirt would be likely to collect. The body of the trough is provided at its upper longitudinal ed es with outwardly projecting flanges 21 w iich flanges are designed to ride over the flange portions 13, 14 and 15 of the supporting member 10 and to rest at their rear ends upon the last-men In order to provide against longitudinal dis lacement of the trough when in place within the casing, the rear end wall 19 is provided with an overturned lip 22 designed to be engaged over the lower wall of the opening 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the dra1` rigs. In order to support the forward end of he trough there is secured to the end wall 18 a transversely extending bar 23 having its ends projecting beyond the sides of the said wall to provide supporting lugs 24 designs-rl to be engaged in supporting brackets 52.5 secured upon the outer side of the wall of the casing 1 at opposite sides ot the lower portion or extension 15 oi the opening The said projecting ends of the bar 23 are so located thatl Awhen engaged in the brackets 25 the trough will be supported in true horizontal position. ln order that trough may be conveniently handled the intermediate portion of the bar 23 is slightly outwardly bowed to form a handle 2G and it will be understood that by 'grasping the handle, after having .first disengaged 'the lip 22 from the bottom wall of the opening t), the trough may be slid forwardly, the rear ends of its flanges 21 riding over the flange portions 15 of the supporting members 10 and downwardly, along the inclined flange portions 14 and thence along the flange por tions 13.V ln such withdrawing movement of the trough the rear end thereof will lower as its flanges travel down 'the Flange portion 14, and the forward portion of the body of the trouglr may be allowed to lower into the extension 1G of the opening S. Thus the rear end ot' the trough is at all times supported during the withdrawing move-r mentand yet is permittedl to lower in such a manner as to clear the discharge spout which projects below the'bottom of the res ervoir as will be presently explained. For

this reason it is possible to Withdraw and replace the trough without tilting the same 1 and, consequently, 'without spilling water from the trough into the casing 1. In orde!` that the extension 16 of the opening 8 may be closed when the trough is in positie U within the casing, the end wall 18 of the said trough isprovided with a downward extension constituting an apron 27 serving the purpose stated. y

The reservoir of the fountain comprises a cylindrical body 2S having a closed downwardly bulged bottom '29 and a top 30,

which is also concave or downwardly bulged and the. said bottom 29 is'provided centrally with a discharge spout 3l leading from the lowest portion of the said bottom so that' all water may 4be permitted to drain from the reservoir through said spout. The flow of Water from the reservoir through the spout is controlled by any suitable valve 32 of the cut-off type arranged within said spout. The top 30 is provided centrally with a nipple 33 and removably tit-ted therein is a plug 34:. Secured upon the top 3() and surrounding the opening defined by the nipple 33 is an annular flange 35 dening a funnel, it being understood that water may be introduced into the tank by pouring into the funnel after removing the said plug 34. The reservoir is designed to bedisposed Within the casing 1 in the position shown Ithe - said reservoir is centered with relation to the wall of the casing by means of several spacing lugs or wings 36 arranged at intervals about the inner surface of the wall of the said casing. In its wall 28 the reservoir is provided at diametrically opposite points, in the event that both the openings 8 and 9 are em loyed or at one side only if the opening 8 a one is employed, with inward bulges 37 designed to e positioned opposite the said openings 8 and 9 when the reservoir has been introduced into the casing 1 and properly positioned. These inward bulges, of course, permit the stockv to have ready access to the trough. In order to exclude cold air from the space between the reservoir 28 and easing wall 1, thev said casing wall vis provided upon its inner side with inwardly .projectin walls 38 which extend along the sides an top of the openings 8 and 9 and -across the said openings opposite' the bulges 37.

In that form of ther-invention, shown in Figs. 7 and 8 .of.theldrawings, the reservoir is ofsomewhat diiferent construction from the reservoir shown in the other figures of the drawings although thefountain is otherwise ,constructed as heretofore described.

. In this 'latter form of the invention theres- `ervoircomprises a bod '39 having a downwardly b ulged 'to -41and inte lhgsaid water leg, Ventering the reservr.' 1n order that the air within the reservoir vmay be displaced, a vent pipe 44 is secured at its upper end to the top 40 and near its upper end 'is provided .with a vent opening 45. The lower end of the pipe 44 -extends into the trough of the fountain and it will be understood that as the water level lrises within the reservoir the displaced air will 'enter through the opening 45 into the pipe 44 and will bubble upl through the water into the trough. On t e other hand, when the water level in the trough lowers beyond `the lower or discharge end' of the spout 31 air will enter the reservoir through the vent pipe 44. In order to protect the lower end of the pipe 44 and prevent freezing thereof, a cylindrical shield 46 dependsfrom the bottom of the reservoir and surrounds lthe said lower end of the v ent pipe. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

into and out of ervoir supported within said casing, a, stepped supporting memberwitliin the casing elow the reservoir, a trough removabl arranged within rvthe casing and at one en.

supported by yone portion of said stepped supporting member, means for supporting the other end of the trough, and a cl'iarge spout leading from the reservoir into the said trough, the first-mentioned end of the said trough being designed to b e supported and permitted to lower by anotherA portion of the said stepped supporting member-as the trough is withdrawn from. I

the casing, whereby tov permit thetrough to be withdrawn in a horizontalposition and to clear the said discharge spout.

2. In a waterin fountain, a casing, spaced supporting mem ers arranged within the casing, the wall of the casing havingan opening and the said supporting members terminating at said opening, a reservoir dis .V

posed within the casingnnd having `its'vv toml resting upon the lsaid supporting l,mein-ffrom said casin throu vhsaid openin 'the wall thereo a `disc arge spoutnlelaingv from the bottoni of said .reservoirlin' trough. A

3. In-a watering fountaimacasfiiighg g an opening in the wall thereof, whichfopfen to move "along .the the trough being adaptedV to ing has a downward eate'nsion,faresrvoir v within the casing, spaced supportingfinem bers within the casing, said supporting'niem--' bers being provided each with stepped .sup-

porting portions, a trough arranged within the casing and having portions resting upon the said stepped supporting portions and movable therealono' as the .trough is slid the casing through said opening in the wall of the casing, the higher stepped supporting portions supporting -one end of the trough when the trough is inv position within the casing and the trough lin its withdrawincr movement being arranged at its other end to lower into the extension of the opening in the wall of the casing, means for supporting the last-mentioned end of the trough, and a discharge spout leadi-n :from the bottom of the reservoir into sai trough and located opposite the lower stepped supporting portions.

4. In a watering fountain, a casing hav ing an opening in the wall thereof, which opening has a downward extension, a reservoir within the casing, spaced supporting members within the casing, said supporting members being provided each with-stepped supporting portions, a trough arranged within the casing and having portions .resting upon the said stepped supporting por eharge spout leading from the bottom` of the reservolrinto said trough and located op posite the lower stepped lsupperting por tions, the last-mentioned end of the trough being Vprovided with e depending extension designed lto-' :1ose the extensionv of the opening in` the Wall of the easing when the trough is in position within said casing.

5. In a-wetering fountain, a easing hei ing an opening in the Wall thereof, which openinghas a downward extension, reservoir wlthin the casing, spaced supporting members within the casing, said supporting members being provided each with .stepped supporting portions, a trough arranged within the easing ingupon the said stepped supporting portions and'rnovable therealong as the Vtrough is slid into and out ofthe-easing through said opening in thel wall of the casing, the higher stepped supporting portions supporting one end of the trough when the trough is in position within the casing and the trough in its withdrawing movement be- .ing arranged at its other end to lower into the` extenslon of the opening in the wall of neseeo und having portions restthe casing, supportingy brackets upon the well of the easing at the opposite sides of the opening therein, and a bar secured upon :the last-rnentioned end of the troughand hirving its ends projecting to seat Within said supporting brackets. t G. in t watering fountain, a casing having an opening in the Wall thereof, a reservoir removably supported Within the casing, e trough arranged within the casi11gg,"be1ow the reservoir and having an end positioned within the lower side of the said opening in the casing, the reservoir having an outlet arranged to, discharge into the said trough, the wall of the reservoir opposite the said opening in the casing being inwardlv bulged, 4and the vseid casing being provided interiorly with a flange extending around the sides and top of the said opening and a portion extending between the sides of the ange and into the bulge into the said wall of the reservoir. Y A

7. In a'watering fountain` a casing, a. reservoir supported therein, a trough within the easing beneath the reservoir, the reservoir having a discharge opening into the trough, a water'le vextending downwardly from the bottom o the reservoir and laterally displacedwith relation to the trough, the reservoir being provided in its top .wlth an opening, and a filling pipe `leading from the opening downwardly through the reservoir with its discharge end extending into the said water leg.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.f 

